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Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams

3 6.0
An American leader who organized the Boston Tea Party and signed the Declaration of Independence
  • proper noun
  • /ˈsæm.ju.əl ˈæd.əmz/
: Samuel Adams
  • Samuel Adams was a key figure in the American Revolution, advocating for independence from British rule, as a Samuel Adams.

Examples

  • Samuel Adams was widely considered to be the ringleader of the demonstration.

    Academic text (2011)
  • During the Boston Tea Party, Samuel Adams organized the protest against taxation without representation.

  • As a Samuel Adams and signer of the Declaration of Independence, he played an important role in founding the United States.

Synonyms

Sam Adams
vsSamuel Adams
1 5.0

An American leader who organized the Boston Tea Party and signed the Declaration of Independence

is the formal full name for the same historical figure

Surface Forms

Morphology

Samuel + Adams

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the meanings 'Samuel' and 'Adams' as words/names do not compositionally indicate 'American Revolutionary leader' or the events associated with him. Recognition of Samuel Adams requires world/cultural knowledge rather than knowledge of the constituent words, so the expression is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Samuel Adams is the name of an American leader who helped start the fight for independence. He helped plan the Boston Tea Party, where people dumped crates of tea into the harbor, and he signed the Declaration of Independence, so his name now stands for 'patriotism' and public protest.